I think I may have settled on quartz as my new kitchen countertop option. I definitely don’t want acrylic/plastic or granite. I would love carrara marble but a) I’m not sure it’s the right choice for this home and b) I don’t know any carrara marble dealers in KW. I think I will be happy with quartz. It will hold up well and it will look sleek with my existing cabinets and backsplash tiles. That said, I have yet to make a decision about what pattern to get. I have already narrowed down my options to only white varieties. And I have eliminated the fake marble and the very snowy patterns from the list. These are possible contenders:
Any advice? What is your countertop made of? Do you have quartz?
I have quartz in my kitchen and we LOVE it! It cleans really well, especially with a microfibre cloth. However, it does not hold up to heat, as advertised. If you leave a hot pot or even a hot cup of tea, you will have a ring. But then again, that will happen on pretty much any counter (laminate, granite, marble, etc.) Having said that, we love our quartz countertop and would most likely put that again in a future home.
I prefer the Hanstone Aurora Snow 🙂
You are full of great advice! How many renos have you actually gone through? Thanks for the tips. I did briefly hear about the heat issue. Even a cup of tea? That’s not good news, is it? My parents and sister both have marble (for 1 year and over 5 years respectively) and the marble is holding up quite well. Hanstone Aurora Snow looks pretty nice too. How the heck am I going to decide? What if I give up and just go for laminate!??!
Thanks! haha A lot! 3 houses in full (kitchens, bathrooms, etc.) for myself and a few more for relatives where I helped with the design and work (I’m an interior decorator at heart).
If you just put your tea cup down for a minute, it’s fine, but pouring the boiling water into it and letting it steep for several minutes is a no-no, at least it was for me. It left a ring, but it’s light, so it doesn’t show too much, but we’re more careful about it now.
I love Carrara marble but I chose to put it on my backsplash instead, less work. 🙂
There are some laminates that are pretty nice these days; it sure saves you a lot of money, and if you’re not planning on being there for a really long time might be worth it for resale value (you might not get your money back with quartz or marble, although it could be a huge selling feature that sells your house faster).
I say go with that you love! You can’t go wrong with what makes you happy, especially since you have classy tastes.
If hot water leaves a ring on quartz, why do people think it’s more durable than carrara? That’s silly. I haven’t seen a laminate that I love yet so I’m still opting to go the quartz route. The hot water example you gave though – it really makes me wonder if I should bother with quartz? It’s essentially the same price as carrara. And I just love carrara. Hmm…
You should check out the two new Caesarstone white colours, they aren’t on the website but samples are in showrooms in Ontario.